Heidi Fleiss, 'Hollywood Madam': Marijuana Plants Found at Her Home

Heidi Fleiss, the former "Hollywood Madam," might have found another questionable vocation: Police have accused her of growing marijuana.

Fleiss, who made headlines in the 1990s for operating a high-priced prostitution ring in Southern California, may face charges after police discovered nearly 400 pot plants at her Nevada home, a county sheriff said on Tuesday.

Authorities arrived at Fleiss' home in Pahrump, about 45 miles west of Las Vegas, last week seeking another woman for unknown reasons. Though they didn't identify the woman, the sheriff's office said they had gone to Fleiss' residence looking for her before.

The officer went to the back of Fleiss' house, where he found 392 plants, grow lights, and several bottles of chemicals used to cultivate marijuana, Nye County Sheriff Anthony De Meo said in a statement.

Fleiss, 47, told police that she was growing the drug for a Las Vegas cooperative and admitted she didn't have a license.

The plants were seized as evidence and Fleiss' equipment was destroyed.

She was spared of being arrested, however, because Fleiss had exotic birds valued at more than $200,000 on the premises, De Meo told CNN. In 2011, Fleiss took part in an Animal Planet reality show, "Heidi Fleiss: Prostitutes to Parrots."

"We don't have facilities for exotic birds, and they are pretty rare and very expensive," the sheriff told the cable news channel.

Authorities filed a report to the district attorney, and charges could be pending. Fleiss allegedly gave police permission to search another area, and was reportedly cooperative throughout the investigation, including consenting to a search without a warrant, the department said.

Fleiss was arrested in 1993 in Los Angeles on suspicion of running a prostitution ring for the Hollywood elite and wealthy businessmen. She eventually served 20 months of a 37-month sentence in a federal prison for convictions on conspiracy, tax evasion, and money laundering relating to her business.